UN following situation in B'desh 'very closely'; calls for calm, restraint

The United Nations is following the situation in Bangladesh "very closely" and calls for calm and restraint in the wake of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation and escape from the country, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.

Farhan Haq, the UN Deputy Spokesperson, told the daily briefing that the UN is following the situation in the South Asian country "very closely".

"We continue to call for calm and restraint and to urge all parties to respect the right to peaceful assembly and expression," Haq said, adding that the UN urges security forces to protect those out on the streets of Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh.

In response to a question from the Press Trust of India on the situation, Haq said: "For us, the important things are for the parties to remain calm, and we want to emphasise the importance of a peaceful, orderly and democratic transition.

"We stand in full solidarity with the people of Bangladesh at this time and we call for